Altamont Library Notes for Thursday, October 7, 2021
Sign up for an oral history interview!
Altamont has such a rich and interesting history, but it rarely gets written down. The best way to collect the history of a place is through recorded interviews with people who live there.
If you or a loved one have long memories and stories to tell about Altamont, please join us this coming Sunday, Oct. 10, to record a one-on-one oral history interview, which will be recorded and transcribed so that we always have it.
You can either bring a loved one to be an interviewer or, if you’d rather, I can conduct the interview myself. Either way, we’ll take care of the recording and have some sample questions ready to help you get the conversation started, so you can just relax and let your memories unfurl.
To sign up for a one-hour block of recording time, give us a call at 518-861-7239 or email me at .
Founders Day
It’s almost time for Founders Day! What? You’ve never heard of Altamont Founders Day? That’s probably because this is only the second time it’s being celebrated.
This October, we’re commemorating the 1890 founding of the village of Altamont with a weekend of great events that will celebrate the history of our beautiful and unique community.
As discussed above, we’ll be collecting oral histories on Sunday, Oct. 10. Also that day, the village will play host to folks from all over the region as we show off our Museum in the Streets with guided tours of the historic core of the village. If you’ve never done the Museum walking tour, this would be a perfect opportunity!
Later, we will celebrate the opening of a new exhibit on the history of car racing at the Altamont fairgrounds, put together by Village Archivist Dan Barker at the Village Archives and Museum in Village Hall. Please join us as we celebrate the history of our beautiful and unique community!
Altamont
ghost stories
Speaking of collecting stories, our good friends Thom Breitenbach and Tom Capuano have been busy over the past year collecting a different kind of stories: Ghost stories! Specifically, they’ve been seeking out ghost stories that occur in and around Altamont.
They’ve collected over 70 stories into a new book called “True Ghost Stories from Altamont & Surrounds” and just in time for Halloween, they’ll be holding an event where you can purchase the book here at the library.
Join Tom and Thom on Saturday, Oct. 16, at 1 p.m. to learn about all the creepy, spooky, frightening, and/or simply unexplainable things that your friends and neighbors have seen here over the years.
Kanopy
Did you know that, thanks to our good friends at Guilderland Public Library, you now have a new way to watch movies and TV for all ages for free by using your library card! Kanopy is a streaming service that is available now for free for Altamont or Guilderland cardholders.
You just use your barcode to start setting up an account (you will need an email too!) and then you have access to a multitude of movies, documentaries, and TV shows, and you can watch on a smart device; a streaming tool, like a Roku; or on a smart TV. Follow this link for more instructions: https://guilderlandlibrary.org/e-library-landing-page/. Please call or stop in with any questions and we hope you enjoy!